1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an information processing system employing an information processing apparatus such as a facsimile machine, a printer, a scanner, a copier, a multi-functional apparatus, or a personal computer, an information processing method, and a storage medium storing a software program for implementing the information processing method.
2. Description of the Background Art
In a typical network environment, a user can use information processing apparatuses such as facsimile machines, printers, scanners, copiers, and multi-functional apparatuses (collectively, “image forming apparatuses”) and personal computers connected on a network using the user's identification (ID) and password. For example, the user registers his user ID and password in an authentication server connected on a network. Then, when the user wishes to use a particular multi-functional apparatus, known as a multi-functional peripheral (MFP), the user inputs his user ID and password to the MFP that he wants to use, and then the MFP transmits the input ID and password to the authentication server. If the authentication server confirms that the received ID and password match the ID and password registered in the authentication server, the authentication server reports the user verification success to the MFP. Upon receiving the user verification success from the authentication server, the MFP allows the user to use the MFP. Such information processing system is disclosed, for example, in JP-2008-176428-A.
However, in such a conventional information processing system, if the user wants to conduct a given processing using a plurality of MFPs connected to each other via a network, the user needs to conduct the above-described authentication process for each one of the MFPs, which is time-consuming process.